Write 7 pages with APA style on Space in the House.
The light coming from the window makes the raised area a comfortable place to read. However, the place also gives the occupant a sense of security because from the sofa, he can view whoever climbs the stairs from the entrance to the living room. On the contrary, the person coming up the stairs will not easily recognize the one seated on the sofa (Colomina, 238). For the occupant, he feels that he is in total control of what is happening in his house because of the functionality of his space. He is like an actor on a raised platform who performs for the viewer but he also has the advantage of recognizing his viewer before he is perceived clearly.
A stage is how Loos looks at the houses he built. The raised platforms in the living room act as such. It is said that Loos designed a theater without the boxes arguing that it is not for the modern auditorium but he placed the boxes inside the home. With a box inside the house, the occupants now have a private space in the public space. For instance, in the living room, although it is a part of the private house, it may be considered a public space considering that it is where the owner entertains visitors. The raised platform, for example in the Moller house mentioned above, serves as a private space for the inhabitant because he is able to detach himself from the public space just as the box in a theater detaches the occupant from other viewers. The box enables the occupant to be invisible but is able to see the stage, that is, he can see himself and also the public space where the visitors are gathered. This is how Loos viewed the house in addition to its function as a place that gives shelter and warmth.
The reading also discusses other functionalities of the interior in relation to the exterior. . For instance, Loos made openings that looked like mirrors and mirrors that appeared to be openings. The Steiner house is a reflection of this architectural idea with its mirror placed just under an opaque window (Colomina, 255). The mirror looks like a part of the window so that at first glance, it would look like it could be opened but one’s reflections will prove otherwise. In the Khuner villa in Austria designed by Loos, a photomontage that appears to be a view from the window is placed in the living room (272). From the space, the occupant seems to be looking outside at beautiful scenery but a closer look will reveal that it is an artwork that only looks a scene from through a window. Such is the concept of Loos on architecture and space, a place to live the occupant’s personality affecting not only the physical but including the emotional and psychological aspects.
